The Foreign Service Journal, May 2019

10 MAY 2019 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LETTER FROM THE EDITOR The Foreign Service Career … in the Balance BY SHAWN DORMAN B ill Burns, the diplomat’s diplomat, left the Foreign Service in 2014 after 33 years. Now president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he spent the last couple years not speaking publicly about the state of State and the deconstruction of diplomacy, not speak- ing publicly much at all. So, we were delighted when Ambas- sador Burns agreed to do a Q&A with the FSJ . His new book and his voice help make us all more articulate about the value of diplomacy today. This month we look at the Foreign Service as a career: the challenges and lessons that come with this complicated, difficult and exciting life of public service. We hear about how the U.S. Foreign Service found its voice in the late 1960s in Harry Kopp’s “Role Models: Lessons for Today from AFSA’s Past,” offering inspiration for the next generation of leaders. In “Service in Tandem for State,” Kathryn Fitrell and Kanishk a Gangopadhyay have suggestions for better management of tandem assign- ments. A DS agent shares lessons from his personal journey with PTSD. We hear from an FSO managing Parkinson’s while serving, and an Indian American FSO on questions of identity. In “From Genera- tion to Generation,” FSO Alexis Ludwig shares insights he received as a young officer, while FSO (ret.) Jonathan Rickert Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. reminds us that the best policy is “If You Mess Up, Fess Up.” As we considered how to frame this collection of articles, I came across an exercise I did many years ago weighing up the plusses and minuses of an FS career. I think it still rings true, and so I share it here. n PLUS • Having the chance to serve your country andmake a difference. •Witnessing history in the making. • Changing jobs every few years. • Having the chance to think and write about current world issues. • Traveling to amazing places. • U.S. diplomats are usually treated with high regard overseas. • You’ll meet important, interesting people. •Wonderful colleagues, esprit de corps. • Learning new things every day. • You’ll rarely be bored in a job. • Each assignment takes you into the unknown. • You could be ambassador someday. • Your partner can find unusual and interesting work opportunities overseas. • The lifestyle encourages a close family. • You have friends all over the world. • You’ll do things you never thought you’d do. • You’ll have amazing stories to tell. • Foreign Service life is rewarding, challenging and exciting. • You gain a world perspective. MINUS • Having to endorse policies with which you may disagree. • History in the making can be dangerous. • Changing jobs every few years. • Often feeling that what you write goes into a black hole. • Contracting rare illnesses. • You represent the USG 24/7 overseas; anything you say can be taken as official. • Most people want something from you. • Some truly terrible managers. • Things may never get totally comfortable. • By the time you knowwhat you’re doing, it’s time tomove on. • Each assignment takes you into the unknown. • You probably won’t ever be an ambassador. • Your partner ’ s career will always come second to yours. • You are far fromhome and will miss “being there”for important events. • Your friends are always all over the world. • There may have been good reasons for not doing some of those things. • Not many people want to hear your stories. • Almost no one back home will understand what you do. • You no longer entirely “fit in” back home.